Hey guys! Here's the promised fast update. Hope you enjoy! Also, I don't know what possessed me to write one, (I must have been bored out of my mind), but due to some strange idea that's been playing around in my head ever since yesterday evening, I actually...I seriously do not know why, wrote a story featuring Vincent and Yuffie in it...together. So, heh, if you want to read it, then go on ahead, because in my insanity I'm also posting it, and tell me what you think...if you think anything of it at all.

Well, that's all from my part.

Many thanks for the reviews and encouragment,

Cheers!

Kyyrin

Chapter Eight

Vincent threw his hands onto the closed door. Tears threatened to spill, though he wouldn't let them. But it was so hard……..

"Why?"

Shelke's quivering inquiry rang through the silence. It was a question Vincent didn't dare to answer. Yet.

A loud bang echoed throughout the corridors. Both Vincent and Shelke looked down, and saw a silver liquid seeping through the crack of the door. Vincent swallowed hard. He began to shake.

"Why did she….? Why?"

Shelke stood, mesmerized by the silver substance that was pooling on the ground. It was obvious whom it belonged too.

"Shalua……"

Another loud smack against the door snapped Vincent's attention back to the tasks at hand, and with another horrified look at the where Shalua had once stood, Vincent grabbed Shelke's arm, and ran.

"And remember……I'll always love you……"

"Why……Shalua……why?……

I don't……understand……"

Vincent navigated through the destroyed hallways blindly, yanking Shelke along with him. He was in shock. Shalua……she was…….

"Vincent!"

The worried cry brought him back to reality. He stopped momentarily and turned towards the voice. Yuffie and a group of WRO members were running towards him. Vincent released Shelke momentarily as Yuffie flew into him, wrapping him in a hug that would have squeezed the life out of any normal person. He wasn't normal, but it still hurt his chest like hell. But he waited patiently for Yuffie to let go of him all the same.

"Oh Planet, Vince am I glad you're ok! But…….", Yuffie took that moment to release Vincent from her grip, and look towards Shelke. "Who's she? And where's……?"

"Yuffie, we must get to safety. We can speak……later", Vincent grabbed Shelke's hand again, and motioned for Yuffie to continue running. Turning to the WRO members, Vincent muttered, "Get us somewhere safe……"

The soldiers saluted and took off down a hallway. They followed, the group of them disposing of any more Deepground units they came across, until they finally reached a room that seemed to have been untouched by the siege. They filed inside, door sliding shut behind them. The room was large and dim, lit only by a single working healing tube in the corner. The other three were cracked and shattered, the healing liquid pouring out onto the floor. But at the moment, this interested none of them. They sat on the ground for the better part of fifteen minutes, catching their breath. Vincent had released Shelke, who didn't look like she'd run away any time soon, and she stood, an uncharacteristic look of shock in her normally blank eyes.

Vincent leaned against a wall and slowly sank to the floor, holding his painful chest. The fact that Azul had whacked him with the strength of the Knights of the Round, hadn't helped it much. Breathing hurt. Badly.

"Vince……..", came Yuffie's soft voice. He saw her move up beside him, and placed one of her hands on his chest. "You look like you're…..in a helluva lota pain….."

"Hm…..it will…..heal…….eventually….", Vincent managed, breathing heavily. Yes, it would. However, the emotional anguish……He squeezed his eyes shut at the fact that the mere action of speaking at caused him such agony. Suddenly, he became aware of the gentle green glow of materia, and the pain in his chest subsided almost immediately. He blinked, and looked over at Yuffie in surprise. She sat there holding a ball of cure materia, and smiling weakly at him.

"I had some left over…..I didn't think it would hurt to lessen…..your suffering….."

That was probably the most profound, grown up thing Yuffie had ever said in his presence. He gawked at first, but then nodded and let the hints of a smile appear on his face.

"Thank you…..Yuffie. It is appreciated, I assure you".

They all turned, when the door suddenly slid open, revealing another group of WRO soldiers pointing their guns at them. Upon realizing that these were no enemies, the weapons were immediately lowered, and they ran to the other team's assistance.

One of the soldiers made his way over to Vincent and Yuffie. Vincent could see from afar that he had a sad look on his face. Damn. If this was about…….

"Mr. Valentine, sir. I…..I thought you ought to know that we……we found Dr. Rui, sir. She looked to be in bad shape, so we took her to the, er, leftover medical ward. The doctor's……I'm sorry, sir, but the doctors didn't look hopeful. I'm very sorry, Mr. Valentine, Ms. Kisaragi. But I believe…….Dr. Rui will not be among us any longer."

Vincent heard Yuffie give an audible gasp of horror. She hadn't known. He should have told her when he'd had the chance. But he just sighed and asked a further question.

"And Azul?"

"We saw him leave with the leftover Deepground troops, sir. If I may be so bold, sir, I believe that Deepground had no real reason to attack us. Azul could have just left anytime without a fight, sir. I think they just...they just attacked us to pass the time and slaughter innocent people, sir".

Vincent rarely scoffed, but he did so at that moment, quite openly too. This soldier was so young, so naive. Did he really think Deepground, hell, Azul of all people would just wake up in his cell and walk out without touching a single person he encountered on his way? This young man obviously hadn't seen many battles or much evil in his lifetime.

But another thought crossed his mind. He didn't doubt that nearly everyone at the Headquarters had known that Reeve and Shalua were a pair. So if he was being notified about Shalua's death now, then where was Reeve?

"No…..no, no…..not Shalua", Yuffie stuttered, almost as if in a trance, but Vincent cut in.

"Soldier. Where is the Commissioner?"

"Wha---? O-Oh, the Commissioner. Well, sir, we, found him, sir. He's……in the command center. But the whole area there is so demolished, that we couldn't get in. I…..I saw him, sir. I couldn't go in to try and help him, because we had our hands full with Dr. Rui, sir. But I called to him, and he looked at me. And I….I told him to hold out….and that help would come soon……and I also told him……I also told him, sir, that Dr. Rui had……had passed on. And I asked him to try and get out himself……but then…..then, sir, he just turned away and didn't move at all, sir. W-We…..we were frightened, sir. And we still are. We don't know if he didn't also…..Sir?"

But Vincent had already leapt up, and loaded his gun. Spinning towards Yuffie, trying as best he could to ignore the look of anguish and pain on her features, he spoke.

"Yuffie. Please. Stay and watch over Shelke. She is…..Shalua's younger sister. I trust you will do that. I am going to find Reeve. I will come back here when I know that he's safe, and not before. And thank you, soldier".

With that, Vincent bolted out the door at a dizzying speed, ignoring all other turmoil and confusion around him. He had only one thought on his mind.

"Reeve……please stay alive……not you too……"

Yuffie stared into space, completely oblivious to everything around her. No tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn't even think the meaning of the soldier's words had completely sunk in yet. Her bottom lip quivered. Nope. She wouldn't cry. No, no, no. Not yet, at least. She, Yuffie Kisaragi, would need a quiet, lonely place to do some crying. All by herself. Suddenly, another thought struck her.

Had Vincent said Shalua's little sis?

Lifting her head, she looked at the young girl that stood a few paces away, also staring into nothingness. But Yuffie frowned. At least she thought her face showed signs of emotion. But…..that chick's? She didn't even look like she could be fazed by bungee jumping. Yuffie loved bungee jumping.

But hell. Shalua was her sister. Well, this looked to be a job for "everyone's best friend", Yuffie. Hauling herself off the floor, she made her way towards the kid. What had Vincent said her name was again…….Seashellk, or something…….oh yeah, Shelke. Weird name but hey…….

Yuffie brought out her most confidant stride, and stalked over to the girl. Planet is she tiny, Yuffie thought as she surveyed the kid. I could probably kick her ass in like two seconds flat……ok maybe three…..

"Hey there, Shelke!", Yuffie stated brightly, but not bothering to hide the sad look on her face. She grabbed a surprised Shelke's hand and shook it vigorously, dropping it just as quickly.

"I'm Yuffie Kisaragi! The White Rose of Wutai! Ever heard of me? Well now you have……nice to meet ya!", Yuffie's happy tone then changed drastically. By the look on Shelke's face, she could see that cheerfulness wasn't getting anywhere.

"So yeah…..you're sis. She was a really good friend of mine. I……I really……liked her. And…..I'm sorry…..for your loss."

She waited. A long time. Shelke stared at her, and Yuffie thought she might have turned into a statue during those five minutes. When she spoke, however, it wasn't at all what Yuffie expected.

"Leave me alone".

Yuffie gawked.

"B-But….."

"I will repeat. Leave me alone".

Yuffie began to feel the beginnings of annoyance form.

"What? But……Look. I know you're probably totally depressed and sad right now, but you don't have to go through this alone, Shelke. I can help you-------"

"Yuffie Kisaragi".

Shelke's cold, vacant voice cut her off. Yuffie stopped mid sentence, still staring at her in disbelief.

"I am not depressed. I am not sad. I feel no emotion. And I just wish to be left alone. Is that so difficult for someone like you to understand?"

Yuffie's jaw dropped. Why that little….All she had wanted to do was help. Offer Shelke a shoulder to cry on. But the rude, little brat had just totally waved her off. In a really mean way. And she wasn't……sad? At all? Her sister had just died out there! If Yuffie were Shelke, she'd be bawling her eyes out at the moment………she was actually beginning to feel like doing that sometime soon.

"W-What? You mean you're not…..sad? At all? But Shelke, she was your sister……"

Yuffie trailed off, attempting to make Shelke realized that it was ok to grieve. Maybe the kid was just stubborn……like Vincent. No. She couldn't compare Shelke to Vincent. Not even her brooding, dark friend was this emotionless.

"I……I don't feel…..anything……", came the blank reply. And with that, Shelke turned and walked to the other side of the room, expertly ignoring Yuffie's look of horror. Perhaps she shouldn't have been so straight forward, but it had been true. She felt nothing. Though at the moment, she didn't really now what to feel………

"Well, f-fine then……", Yuffie stammered at Shelke's retreating back, and walked towards the door in a daze. Shelke had just basically said she didn't care. Or at least that was how Yuffie had understood it. But right now, all the ninja knew was that she had to get out. She didn't give two rabid chocobos what Vincent had said to her, she just needed to get as far away from this room as possible.

Far away from Shelke.

Vincent raced into demolished command center, wildly searching around for Reeve. He had wildly fought his way through the massive amounts of rubble and electric panels that had barred the way to his friend. Panic started to build in his chest. If something had happened to his friend as well, he would feel beyond guilty……considering the previous events that had just occurred.

Walking around a bend that consisted of a ruined computer board, he met an extremely sorrowful sight.

There sat Reeve, with his back against the seemingly last intact wall, eyes glazed over, and staring into nothing. Multiple gashes and bruises adorned his body, and his clothes were ripped and torn beyond recognition. Vincent's heart jumped to his throat. Reeve couldn't be……..No. He pushed the thought out of his mind. He wouldn't let his friend die this time. Experiencing it once had been more than enough for him, even though it had only been a Cait Sith costume.

"Reeve……", Vincent murmured, and rushed to his friends side. "Reeve…….Planet, are you alright? Can you hear me?"

He let out an audible sigh of relief when Reeve blinked, and turned his head slightly to look over at him. When his friend spoke, his voice came out as a defeated whisper. A mere shadow of his normally bright, enthusiastic countenance.

"I'm so……ashamed", he whispered airily, gray-green eyes studying Vincent momentarily, then looking away. "I am supposed to be a hero of the Jenova War. But look at me…….I couldn't even save them….anyone….."

"Reeve…..", Vincent looked at his friend, feeling powerless to cease the others anguish. "What the hell am I supposed to say?", Vincent thought, wracking his brain for comforting words. Things like this never came easy for him. But he couldn't let Reeve believe that this was his fault.

"Don't take all the blame, Reeve", he managed softly, placing a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "There was really nothing more you could have done than you already did. None of this is your fault. Are you thinking of giving up?"

"Vincent…..?", Reeve looked at his friend in surprise. Vincent was usually the one who blamed himself. Reeve had always been the one reassuring his silent, brooding friend, but that seemed to have changed.

"Reeve. I used to be nothing but a stone in the river of time, but three years ago it was you and the others who taught me I had to move ahead. Try, Reeve. You can get through this", Vincent desperately tried to reassure his friend. He didn't like this Reeve. This Reeve was foreign to him. This wasn't the happy go lucky, positive, cheerful man that he knew and loved. This Reeve was depressed and distant. And it reminded Vincent far too much of himself.

Standing, he turned to go. Walking away from Reeve's slumped form slowly, he decided that it would be better he left his friend to think things over for himself. Sometimes, one just wanted to be alone with their thoughts. He knew that feeling well. Vincent felt he had given his friend all the advice necessary to help him along the way. And now that he knew Reeve was safe, save for some gashes and bruises, he could clear the way for Reeve to come back to them on his own.

He paused however, when he heard a soft, pitiful whimper come from behind him.

"Sha……lua…..", came Reeve's broken whisper, followed by a quiet sob.

Vincent stopped dead in his tracks. Planet, how could he have possibly almost dismissed that event? He had been so caught up in finding Reeve, that he had almost……forgotten. His chest tightened, and his eyes began to burn. Shalua. She was dead and that was his fault. And now Reeve…….gods, Reeve. Now his friend was paying the price for it. Dearly. Vincent struggled between leaving quickly, and staying. If he left, he would be able to avoid a conversation that he knew would be awkward for him, and if he stayed…….

Turning slowly, he faced Reeve once more, the pain in his chest deepening when he saw the state his friend was in.

Reeve held a hand to his face and was shaking with sobs. He was shivering slightly, and Vincent could tell he was completely exhausted. He sighed, remembering what Shalua had told him about Reeve's energy reserves. They were meant for mental stress, not physical.

What had he been thinking? It wouldn't do to leave Reeve here all alone, completely heartbroken.

Vincent decided right then and there that his friendship to Reeve was far more important to him than any uncomfortable feelings he might experience. His friend needed tending to if he wanted to be back on his feet to continue the fight against Deepground. Taking a few steps towards the shaking figure on the ground, he spoke.

"I…….Reeve. I suppose you've heard then. Yes, Shalua is….gone. But she wouldn't want you to be…..like this", Vincent stopped short when Reeve began to sob harder.

"I guess that was the wrong thing to say", Vincent mused quietly, frantically searching for another solution. Swallowing hard, he decided there was only one thing left to do.

"Reeve, come here", Vincent stated in a gentle, but commanding tone, motioning for his friend to come stand in front of him. Reeve looked up weakly, and pushed himself to stand laboriously. He shuffled over to Vincent at an extremely slow pace, and a concerned frown began to form on the latter's features.

Reeve was limping. Badly. But before he could inquire any further, Reeve reached him, and gazed up at him, eyes once again filling up with tears. Vincent pushed the thoughts away for the time being, and focused on consoling his distraught friend.

"Reeve, I'm sorry. I tried….so hard to save her. I really did. But evidently not hard enough. I……I am so sorry."

Vincent was marginally aware that his voice had begun to crack slightly. He rarely ever gave any hint of emotion when he spoke, but Shalua's almost certain death was taking a toll on him as well. She was now another person he had failed to save. And he had cared for her. Deeply. But he figured that if he was already this emotionally drained, then what Reeve must be going through had to be near to unbearable.

"…Not….your fault", came the quivering reply, as Reeve stared at Vincent sadly. "It's not…..anyone's fault……but mine."

Reeve trailed off and Vincent's eyes widened in surprise and sympathy when his friend broke down into uncontrollable sobs. Watching Reeve's shuddering, shaking figure helplessly, he moved closer to him and did something he hadn't attempted in a long time.

He had tried it once, when Reeve had all but thrown his arms around him in a hug, but it had been fleeting. He hadn't felt comfortable. Now, however, he would be the one to initiate it. Vincent felt it was part of what he could do to repay Reeve for the care the man had given him, and perhaps it would also help to get rid of some of his unwanted labels.

Tentatively wrapping his arms around his friend, he pulled Reeve into a gentle embrace.

Reeve didn't so much as give a hint that it made him uncomfortable, and didn't hesitate in winding his arms around Vincent as well and clinging to him as if he were the last person left on the Planet. He buried his head into Vincent's chest and continued to sob.

"Reeve. This is not your fault. You cannot blame yourself for what happened to her. It was her choice, and if anything, it was my fault for not finding some way to get her out of there. Please. You cannot possibly feel guilty for something you had no control over", Vincent persisted stubbornly. Shalua had taught him much. Hell, before she had died she had told him this wasn't his fault. And it certainly wasn't Reeve's fault. There were just some things that one had no control over.

"B-But i-it is m-my fault….", Reeve stuttered weakly through sobs. "I-If I h-had b-been there, s-she wouldn't h-have………" He could not finish the sentence, and resorted to hugging Vincent tighter. Swallowing, and drawing a shaky breath, he cuddled up to his

friend for any type of consolation. Reeve knew full well that Vincent was not fond of human contact, but at the moment, he was too confused and distressed to care. Vincent was, at the moment, the only thing that was keeping him upright.

Vincent, although it was all the more awkward for him to do so, began to rub his friends back soothingly with his human hand, as he remembered his late mother doing to him when he was a boy. It had always helped ease his pain.

"If you had been there? Reeve. It was her choice. Nothing would have stopped her from saving her sister. And if you had been there…..", Vincent paused momentarily, searching for a way to finish. "Reeve…..if you had been she would have probably just have saved you as well……"

At this, Reeve released his grip on Vincent slightly and gaped at him. His tears momentarily stopped flowing.

"P-Pardon?"

"I meant that, Reeve. If you had been there she would have certainly given her life to get you out alive as well. There was more or likely nothing you could have done to change her mind. Shalua is just as selfless as you are. She knew that you are important to the WRO for the survival of the Planet. She would have given her life for you, Reeve. That means she wants you to live on. And she knew you could do that, even without her."

Vincent trailed off, beginning to think he was going insane. "When did you start giving motivational speeches, Valentine?", he thought to himself. And what the hell was he thinking, reassuring Reeve like this and telling him to move on when he himself couldn't let go of Lucrecia? Shalua had told him that he should view Lucrecia as his reason to live. That he should keep her in his heart, and still move on. But it was so, so hard. How could he possibly expect Reeve to stop grieving so soon when in reality, Vincent hadn't stopped grieving for thirty-three years?

Yes. He needed to give his friend time. The saying "time heals all wounds" may have not worked for him, but he was certain it would for Reeve. Vincent was sure that his friend's positive attitude and cheerful nature would conquer the depression and sadness.

But as Vincent gazed down at Reeve, the latter's surprised expression changed to one of regret and extreme sorrow in a matter of seconds. He laid his head back onto Vincent's chest, and hot tears began running down his cheeks once more.

"Hm. It will take a while, but I'm sure you will be fine, Reeve", Vincent mused, giving his friend a gentle look.

As Reeve began to cry again, Vincent took the opportunity to survey the room, still holding his friend in his arms. He came to the conclusion that they had to get out of here. Fast. There were electronics that could explode any minute, and loose pieces of rubble that could crash down onto them at any time. Cursing softly, he berated himself for not noticing it before. And to think he had wanted to leave Reeve here by himself. He needed to get his friend somewhere safe.

He was torn from his plans by a faint murmur from the man he was holding.

"S-She said……she said I should…….move on if anything….happened to her. I promised her…..that I would……do my best. And she promised….she would too…..if anything happened to me…….but I don't think…..we were expecting……this. And now…..that the time has come……I don't think I'm ready to accept it……I-It's just……It just can't be real…….It's so…..hard"

Vincent looked down at his friend, who was clearly in emotional agony. Vincent felt for him. He really, really did. But now was no time to reminisce. They had to leave.

"Reeve. Please listen to me", Vincent started, attempting to get his friend's attention by taking on a commanding, no-nonsense tone. "Staying here is dangerous. This room is on the verge of collapsing, and so are you. We have to leave. Can you walk?"

Reeve lifted his head weakly, and gave a slight nod, tears still streaming down his cheeks.

"S-Sure……", he mumbled, not even sounding convincing to himself, and began to take slow, shaky steps towards the exit. Vincent followed him worriedly, and it once again occurred to him that his friend was sporting a very bad limp.

Reeve didn't get far before he wavered, and began to fall forward. Vincent had thought as much, and rushed forward, grabbing him before he hit the ground.

"Easy, Reeve", Vincent grunted, pulling his friend back to his feet and supporting him. Half dragging, half pulling Reeve out of the room, they got halfway down the hallway before Vincent realized that his grip on the other man was becoming slippery.

Looking down, he saw to his horror that his hands were covered in Reeve's blood.

"Dear Shiva……", Vincent muttered under his breath, fear rising in his chest. He looked around frantically for a place he could use as a temporary seat for Reeve. Settling for a large, broken pipe, he hurriedly sat his friend down, leaned him against the wall, and knelt down in front of him.

What he saw drained the all remaining color from even his usually pale face.

A few of the nasty cuts on Reeve's chest were open, and were seeping a rather profuse amount of blood. Surveying his friend's legs, he found one to be larger than the other at the knee. A hideous bruise was also to be seen on Reeve's stomach, as well as on his forehead.

Reeve's eyes began to droop shut, and Vincent realized he would have to keep the man awake as well. He'd go into shock if he wasn't occupied.

"Reeve!", Vincent snapped loudly. "Stay awake Tuesti, you stubborn bastard. You hate it when I lie to you, so why did you lie to me when you said you could walk?"

"S-Stu….bborn…..bas…tard?", Reeve whispered softly, glazed eyes traveling to the general direction of Vincent's voice. "Lo…ok…..who's….talk….ing……"

Vincent rolled his eyes slightly. Reeve had a real problem staying focused on one subject.

"That's not the point, Reeve. What I wanted to know was……", he trailed off, pulling up Reeve's right pant leg, and gasping audibly at sight before him. His right knee was swollen to double the size of the other, and was a fierce, angry red. Reeve's horrible injuries struck Vincent speechless for a minute.

When he found his voice again, it was uncharacteristically shaky.

"R-Reeve. What the hell happened to you?"

Reeve looked at Vincent, seemingly disoriented, and then glanced down at his knee as if he had just noticed it was injured.

"Wha---? O-Oh…..that's….n-nothing…..didn't even….notice it…..before", he whispered distantly. "A….big soldier……came in and… shot stuff…big gun……bigger t-than yours….. started throwing…heavy things around…."

"….And one of those heavy things landed on your leg", Vincent finished for him, reaching into the depths of his crimson cloak and wondering how on earth Reeve had managed to get that "heavy thing" off his leg. He fished for the mastered Cure 2 materia he had acquired before he had reached the Nibelheim Sewers. He had taken Reeve and Shalua's pleas to heart. They had said they didn't want to see him back in the med ward, and Vincent had taken precautions. As disappointed as he had been to only find a Cure 2, he had taken it. It was better than nothing, after all.

Now it was mastered, and Vincent had every intention of using it on Reeve. Pressing the circular object to his friend's chest, he murmured the words of the spell, pushing into it every ounce of energy he could spare.

Reeve's minor cuts, and the bruises of every shape and size, vanished from sight. But traces of the nasty slashes still remained, as well as his badly injured knee.

Vincent swore silently. The materia hadn't quite been enough. In fact, it hadn't been enough at all. Reeve was still worse for wear. His friend was sporting a feverish flush, and two of the gashes on his chest showed signs of infection. He had to get Reeve to the med ward. Or what was left of it.

"Reeve? Stay……...strong. Your leg looks bad, so I'm going to take you to the med ward. Understood?". Vincent felt strange saying those two words to someone whose strength he had come to rely on.

"No……n-no med w-ward", came the shaky reply.

Vincent arched an eyebrow. Reeve? Scared of the med ward? He knew plenty about this man, but he didn't think a fear of hospitals was a phobia of Reeve's. Well, this was revenge then. He'd persist. Reeve had, after all, embarrassed him rather brutally once before, and had forced him to eat oatmeal, along with Shalua that is. So Vincent decided that he would now drag the man to the med ward if need be. It was for his own good after all.

"Yes, med ward, Reeve. You're in bad shape and……..and I will not lose you as well……", Vincent trailed of in surprise at his last comment. Had he actually just said that? Well, yes, he had. And although it felt strange, he realized it had actually been heartfelt. He had lost so many people dear to him in his lifetime. His mother, his father, Lucrecia, Aeris, Shalua…….no. He was not about to add Reeve to that list.

His statement did, however, produce widened eyes, and a ghost of a smile from Reeve.

"Y-You care?…….That much?…..Thank you…..Vincent…..D-Don't worry yourself….though. The knee's……always been…..weak…..ever since…….", Reeve gasped weakly, attempting to finish the sentence despite the pain and exhaustion.

"Ever since what, Reeve?", Vincent inquired, bit by bit pulling down Reeve's pant leg again, so as not to damage his knee further. This was good. If his friend kept talking, he would stay awake and coherent till they both reached the med ward.

"…..Ever since……the Shinra…..tortured me……."

Vincent's head snapped up to look Reeve straight in the eyes.

"What?"

Alright, he'd admit. Apparently there were more than just a few things he didn't know about his friend.

Reeve gazed back, though it seemed he was looking through Vincent, rather than at him,

"Yeah….never told you……never told anyone…….", he continued on, swaying wearily. Vincent reached out to steady him, the worried frown he had already been sporting,

deepening profusely. If it wasn't enough that Reeve was badly injured, Vincent was now beginning to worry about his friends mental state as well.

"Reeve, how did you……get out of the prisons?"

The question hung in air for a while. The silence was eerie in the dark, destroyed corridor.

"O-Oh…….", came the quivering reply. Reeve sniffled softly and bit his lip.

"S-Shalua…..saved my ass……."

Vincent's frown changed to a look of surprise? Shalua had been in the Shinra prisons with Reeve? He wondered fleetingly what she had been in for. But just as quickly as Reeve spoke Shalua's name, his airy, disoriented persona vanished, and was once again replaced with a look of heart wrenching sadness as he dealt with the fact that she was gone.

Vincent took this opportunity to gently wrap an arm around the injured man's waist, and hoist him up again. He pulled Reeve down the hallway in the direction of the medical facilities.

And looking down at a person he could sincerely consider one of his best friends, Vincent only hoped he wasn't too late.

Hm...I actually really like building on the Vincent and Reeve friend relationship...Cheers!